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Tail biting in pigs: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Abnormal behavior in pigs}}
'''Tail biting in pigs''' specifically is considered an abnormal behavior where a pig uses their teeth to bite, chew or orally manipulate another pigs's tail.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|last1=Schroder-Petersen|first1=DL|last2=Simonsen|first2=HB|title=Tail biting in pigs|url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11681870|website=PubMed.gov: US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health|publisher=Harcourt Publishers Ltd.|accessdate=27 February 2016}}</ref> The term "Tail biting" in pigs has been used to describe a range in severity from light manipulation of the tail to physically harming the tail, causing infection, [[amputation]] or even harming areas surrounding the tail. Tail biting typically occurs under the following conditions: indoor facility with a high density of pigs housed in a confined area (like a pen); lack of a [[substrate (biology)|substrate]] material; poor [[ventilation (architecture)|ventilation]] system, or poor feed quality and accessibility.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last1=Taylor|first1=Nina R.|last2=Main|first2=David C.J.|last3=Mendl|first3=Mike|last4=Edwards|first4=Sandra A.|title=Tail-biting: A new perspective|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/science/article/pii/S109002330900361X|website=ScienceDirect|publisher=Elsevier Ltd.|accessdate=28 February 2016}}</ref>▼
[[File:Tail bited of pig.JPG|thumb|Tail of a pig which has been bitten]]
 
▲'''Tail biting in pigs''' specifically is considered an abnormal behavior wherewhereby a [[pig]] uses theirits teeth to bite, chew or orally manipulate another pigs's tail.<ref name=":2">{{cite webjournal|last1=SchroderSchrøder-Petersen|first1=DLD.L|last2=Simonsen|first2=HBH.B|title=Tail biting in pigs|urljournal=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11681870Veterinary Journal|websitedate=PubMed.gov: US National Library of Medicine National Institutes ofNovember Health2001|publishervolume=Harcourt Publishers Ltd162|issue=3|pages=196–210|doi=10.1053/tvjl.2001.0605|accessdatepmid=27 February 201611681870}}</ref> The term "Tail biting" in pigs has beenis used to describe a range in severity from light manipulation of the tail to physically harming the tail, causing infection, [[amputation]] or even harming areas surrounding the tail. Tail biting typically occurs under the following conditions: indoor facility with a high density of pigs housed in a confined area (like a pen); lack of a [[substrate (biology)|substrate]] material; poor [[ventilation (architecture)|ventilation]] system, or poor feed quality and accessibility.<ref name=":0">{{cite webjournal|last1=Taylor|first1=Nina R.|last2=Main|first2=David C.J.|last3=Mendl|first3=Mike|last4=Edwards|first4=Sandra A.|title=Tail-biting: A new perspective|urldoi=http:/10.1016/wwwj.sciencedirecttvjl.com2009.proxy208.cl.msu.edu/science/article/pii/S109002330900361X028|websitevolume=ScienceDirect186|publisherjournal=ElsevierVeterinary Ltd.Journal|accessdateyear=282010 February|issue=2 |pages=137–147|pmid=19804997 2016}}</ref>
There are three types of tail biting: two-stage, sudden forceful, and obsessive. The type of tail biting is based on the behaviors of each the biter and victim, physical consequences of the bite, and conditions under which the biting happens.<ref name=":0" /> A common cause of tail biting is due to pigs feeling stressed or discomfort and are looking for something to divert their attention.<ref name=":3">{{cite web|last1=van den Berg|first1=J.|title=Tail-biting in pigs: Causes, effects, and prevention|url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7147219|website=PubMed.gov: US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health|publisher=PubMed|accessdate=28 February 2016}}</ref> Some other causes of tail biting involve possible breed predilections, gender, feed source, substrate materials, [[Gastrointestinal tract|gastrointestinal]] discomfort, and general health of the pig(s).<ref name=":0" /> It usually starts out as the pig being curious to investigate its surroundings and begins with harmless nibbling. The nibbling then turns into biting- if blood is drawn from the bite this can cause the pig to bite even more due to their natural appetite for blood.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bassert|first1=Joanna M.|last2=McCurnin|first2=Dennis M.|title=McCurnin's Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians|date=2010|publisher=Penny Rudolph|isbn=978-1-4160-5700-0|page=756|edition=Seventh|accessdate=28 February 2016}}</ref>▼
 
▲There are three types of tail biting: two-stage, sudden forceful, and obsessive. The type of tail biting is based on the behaviors of each the biter and victim, physical consequences of the bite, and conditions under which the biting happens.<ref name=":0" /> A common cause of tail biting is due to pigs feeling stressed or discomfort and are looking for something to divert their attention.<ref name=":3">{{cite webjournal|last1=van den Berg|first1=J.|title=[Tail-biting in pigs:. Causes, effects, and prevention]|urljournal=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7147219Tijdschrift voor Diergeneeskunde|websitedate=PubMed.gov:1 USOctober National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health1982|publishervolume=107|issue=PubMed19|accessdatepages=28 February 2016735–43|pmid=7147219|language=nl}}</ref> Some other causes of tail biting involve possible breed predilections, gender, feed source, substrate materials, [[Gastrointestinal tract|gastrointestinal]] discomfort, and general health of the pig(s).<ref name=":0" /> It usually starts out as the pig being curious to investigate its surroundings and begins with harmless nibbling. The nibbling then turns into biting- if blood is drawn from the bite this can cause the pig to bite even more due to their natural appetite for blood.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bassert|first1=Joanna M.|last2=McCurnin|first2=Dennis M.|title=McCurnin's Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians|date=2010|publisher=Penny Rudolph|isbn=978-1-4160-5700-0|page=756|edition=Seventh|accessdate=28 February 2016}}</ref>
Tail biting causes major financial and animal [[welfare]] issues within the commercial swine industries due to reduced weight gain, treatments, [[culling]], and [[carcass]] condemnation. Studies have been done for farmers to identify the risk factors causing tail biting and to implement and experiment ways to reduce and prevent it. The studies ultimately yielded variable results due to the many factors of tail biting and the fact general recommendations are not appropriate for all farms.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Taylor|first1=Nina R.|last2=Parker|first2=Richard M.A.|last3=Mendl|first3=Michael|last4=Edwards|first4=Sandra A.|last5=Main|first5=David C. J.|title=Prevalence of risk factors for tail biting on commercial farms and intervention strategies|url=http://za2uf4ps7f.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Prevalence+of+risk+factors+for+tail+biting+on+commercial+farms+and+intervention+strategies&rft.jtitle=The+Veterinary+Journal&rft.au=Taylor%2C+Nina+R&rft.au=Parker%2C+Richard+M.A&rft.au=Mendl%2C+Michael&rft.au=Edwards%2C+Sandra+A&rft.date=2012-10-01&rft.pub=Elsevier+B.V&rft.issn=1090-0233&rft.eissn=1532-2971&rft.volume=194&rft.issue=1&rft.spage=77&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016%2Fj.tvjl.2012.03.004&rft.externalDBID=BSHEE&rft.externalDocID=307233367&paramdict=en-US|website=ScienceDirect|publisher=Elsevier|accessdate=29 February 2016}}</ref>▼
 
▲Tail biting causes major financial and animal [[welfare]] issues within the commercial swine industries due to reduced weight gain, treatments, [[culling]], and [[wikt:carcass|carcass]] condemnation. Studies have been done for farmers to identify the risk factors causing tail biting and to implement and experiment ways to reduce and prevent it. The studies ultimately yielded variable results due to the many factors of tail biting and the fact general recommendations are not appropriate for all farms.<ref>{{cite webjournal|last1=Taylor|first1=Nina R.NR|last2=Parker|first2=Richard M.A.RM|last3=Mendl|first3=MichaelM|last4=Edwards|first4=Sandra A.SA|last5=Main|first5=David C. J.DC|title=Prevalence of risk factors for tail biting on commercial farms and intervention strategies.|url=http://za2uf4ps7f.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Prevalence+of+risk+factors+for+tail+biting+on+commercial+farms+and+intervention+strategies&rft.jtitle=The+Veterinary+ Journal&rft.au=Taylor%2C+Nina+R&rft.au=Parker%2C+Richard+M.A&rft.au=Mendl%2C+Michael&rft.au=Edwards%2C+Sandra+A&rft.|date=October 2012-10-01&rft.pub=Elsevier+B.V&rft.issn=1090-0233&rft.eissn=1532-2971&rft.|volume=194&rft.|issue=1&rft.spage|pages=77&rft_id77–83|doi=info:doi/10.1016%2Fj/j.tvjl.2012.03.004&rft.externalDBID=BSHEE&rft.externalDocID=307233367&paramdict=en-US|websitepmid=ScienceDirect|publisher=Elsevier|accessdate=29 February 201622503206}}</ref>
 
== Terminology ==
The term "tail biting" can be used to describe a range of tail manipulation behaviors from light nibbling to [[cannibalism]]. However, the term "tailTail biting" mainly refers to thebites formationwhich ofcause [[Lesion|lesionslesion]]s on the victim., but Therethere has not been a clear definition for "tail biting" thereforeso it is common for researchersnibbling towithout referinjury to differentbe thingsconsidered whena usingform theof termtail biting.<ref name=":0" /> Tail biting tends to happen when swine are housed in in indoor facilities and in pens where multiple pigs are housed together. WithCrowding multiple pigs housed in one area, they can become crowded which has the potential to induceinduces stress. Other factors in this circumstance that can cause stress in pigs are a lack of [[Substrate (biology)|substrate]] material in the housing environment, a lack of ventilation, or lack of quality feed (low salt or low iron diets<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/behavior/normal_social_behavior_and_behavioral_problems_of_domestic_animals/behavioral_problems_of_swine.html?qt=tail%20biting&alt=sh|title=Behavioral Problems of Swine|date=2014|website=The Merck Veterinary Manual|publisher=Merck Sharp and Dohme Corp.|access-date=March 19, 2016}}</ref>) or access to the feed.<ref name=":0" /> Tail biting even happens out of pure boredom.<ref name=":1" /> Stressful situations, boredom and frustration motivate the actions of tail biting.<ref name=":2" />
 
== Types ==
The certain behaviors and conditions that tail biting happens under can be split up into three types: two-stage, sudden forceful, and obsessive.<ref name=":0" />
# Two-stage consists of two stages: Prepre-damage and damaging.
## Pre-damage: Pre-damageThis consists ofis light manipulation of the tail using the mouth of one pig on another. This tends to happen when both pigs are laying. With this type, the victim of the act tends to have little to no reaction to its tail being manipulated. Because pigs have an instinctive [[Rooting instinct|rooting]] behavior, the most likely cause of this type of tail biting is due to lack of a substrate/ground material for the pig to use its rooting behavior on, therefore it uses another pig's tail to fulfill that behavior. Ways to prevent this would be to remove the pig that's "biting" or remove the pigs that are being bitten, and/or provide some substrate or ground material to redirect the biting pig's rooting behavior.<ref name=":0" />
## Damaging: Damaging is when theThe oral manipulation causes the tail to bleed. This type tends to be more forceful where the pig actually bites the tail of the other pig. The victim pig will most likely respond with avoidance behavior, sometimes making sounds to indicate discomfort.<ref name=":0" />
#Sudden Forcefulforceful: This type is when oneOne pig actually grips onto the tail with its mouth and yanks. It usually happens when both pigs are standing up. Like the previous type, theThe victim will usually display avoidance behavior and/or vocalize discomfort. This can cause wounds, sometimes even amputation. Some things to prevent this again would be to separate the biting pigs from the victim pigs and to provide substrate material or objects for the pigs to root.<ref name=":0" />
#Obsessive: This type is when theThe biting and yanking is repeated. Again, the response is avoidance behavior. The wounds are more severe and include partial or full amputation. To prevent, separate the bitten and victim pigs and treat the injured pigs.<ref name=":0" />
 
== Causes ==
Pigs go through teeth changes at ages 3-43–4 weeks and 7-87–8 months. Like humans and many other species, they go through teething phases which can prompt them to start tail biting. Pigs also have a natural tendency to chew and an attraction to blood, therefore if they start chewing on a tail and draw blood, it makes it harder for them to stop and can lead to infection.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nadis.org.uk/bulletins/tail-biting.aspx|title=Pig Health- Tail Biting|website=NADIS: National Animal Disease Information Service|access-date=25 April 2016|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113093850/http://www.nadis.org.uk/bulletins/tail-biting.aspx |archive-date=13 January 2013}}</ref> As pigs feel uncomfortable in their housing environment, they turn to biting and harming the tails of the pigs surrounding them.<ref name=":3" /> It is important to consider the factorsFactors that can trigger tail biting to begin. These can include environmental, husbandry, and diet factors like temperature, competition for food and water, vitamin E deficiency, and high fat diets.<ref name=":4" />
 
== Industry effects ==
Tail biting is considered one of the major animal welfare problems affecting the fattening of pigs in the swine industry. This is because of the costs to treat and costs due to slower fattening to slaughter weight. There are factors to be taken into account when evaluating how tail biting affects production since they have to do with growth, feed intake, leanness and other production traits. Some of those factors are genetics, breed, gender. A study was done to determine the effects of tail biting during the entire finishing period (also known as "fattening" period). They used three measures to evaluate production: average daily gain (ADG), gross feed conversion ratio (FCR), and red meat percentage (meat %) which included muscle and fat thicknesses.
 
== Prevention and management ==▼
They knew that the factors would play a part in the results of production and performance but weren't sure how to measure that, therefore they hypothesized that tail biting would generally lower performance. Pigs were divided into pens based on size and gender and feeding diets were implemented for the course of the study. The ingredients in the feeds varied but this was proven to not have an effect on the results. 8 pens had single feeders while 2 pens contained trough feeders. All pens contained partially slatted, full concrete floors with straw and sawdust as enrichment substrate material. Toys were added to the pens where tail biting was noted or in pens where pigs displayed troublesome behavior. Veterinarians visited the farm 3-4 times a day to monitor for health issues and to treat accordingly. No epidemic diseases occurred during the study. The main health problem was tail biting and secondly was locomotive issues. A ventilation system was put into place and the temperature of the facility was monitored accordingly.
The victim pigs of tail biting should be isolated from the others in order to prevent further damage. The tail can be dressed with a bandage and/or sprayed with an antiseptic. Broad spectrum antibiotics can be prescribed by a veterinarian to prevent and treat any infections. Meat withholding periods should be taken into account if antibiotics are prescribed.<ref name=":4" />
 
To minimize tail biting, toys like chains, alkathene piping, and rubber boots can be provided to redirect pigs chewing tendencies. A substrate material for the flooring of the pen like feed or straw can provide additional enrichment in preventing tail biting as well. Tail docking is another way to prevent tail biting. This is done when piglets are 3–7 days old and should be done cleanly and efficiently by someone who is competent. Dietary supplements can be given to increase salt levels which has been shown to be effective. Salt levels should be monitored as to prevent excessive intake and salt poisoning.<ref name=":4" /> Other things that can be monitored and adjusted are potential stressors like stocking density, temperature and ventilation regulation. In regards to stocking density, there are minimum space requirements for pigs based on weight per The Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations. Temperature and ventilation should be monitored and regulated as to prevent chilling, overheating, too much dust, gas, and ammonia buildup in turn decreasing stress induced tail biting.<ref name=":0" />
During the study, a pig was considered a victim of tail biting if wounds were present that indicated tail biting.
 
Based on the results of the study, only 11.4% of the pigs were victims of tail biting. Weights were evaluated at the beginning and end of the study and concluded that there were no significant differences in weights (beginning and end) of victims versus nonvictims. However, it was not only the weight itself that was evaluated. The data sets of ADG, FCR, and meat % were looked at closely and it was found that non-victims had a greater ADG than victims (The study results also showed that tail biting had no affect on the FCR or meat %.) It was taken into account that other factors besides tail biting could have an effect on these results like breed, gender, and genetic predispositions. While these factors do affect the results, it was still found that the ADG of victims of tail biting is reduced by 1 to 3%.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Sinisalo|first=Alina|date=February 2012|title=Tail biting and production performance in fattening pigs|url=http://za2uf4ps7f.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Tail+biting+and+production+performance+in+fattening+pigs&rft.jtitle=Livestock+Science&rft.au=Sinisalo%2C+Alina&rft.au=Niemi%2C+Jarkko+K&rft.au=Heinonen%2C+Mari&rft.au=Valros%2C+Anna&rft.date=2012-02-01&rft.pub=Elsevier+B.V&rft.issn=1871-1413&rft.eissn=1878-0490&rft.volume=143&rft.issue=2-3&rft.spage=220&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016%2Fj.livsci.2011.09.019&rft.externalDBID=BSHEE&rft.externalDocID=277195365&paramdict=en-US|journal=ScienceDirect|doi=|pmid=|access-date=25 April 2016}}</ref>
 
▲== Prevention and management ==
 
==NotesReferences==
{{Reflist}}
 
[[Category:Animal welfare]]
{{Uncategorized|date=March 2016}}
[[Category:Intensive farming]]
[[Category:Pigs]]
[[Category:Biting]]
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